As President Donald Trump’s second administration continues to take shape, speculation swirls about who could be the next education secretary, a position that could play a key role in fulfilling one of Trump’s biggest campaign promises.
There is no obvious candidate for Trump’s choice. Policy experts have floated the names of several state superintendents who have aligned themselves with the GOP’s culture war efforts, such as banning literature that opponents claim introduces students to inappropriate topics.
Trump vowed to end the Department of Education (DOE) during his bid for a second term in the White House and has doubled down on that plan since his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, saying in a video message this week that he plans to dismantle it. The Department of Education is “very early” into its second administration.
Who Is Running to Be Trump’s Secretary of Education?
According to a report from Inside Higher Ed, experts predict that Oklahoma State Superintendent Ryan Walters and Louisiana State Superintendent Cade Brumley may be on Trump’s shortlist for the next education secretary.
Walters has carved out a national reputation in recent years. Over the summer, his office ordered that all public schools teach the Bible in classrooms, an initiative backed by strong legislation.
Brumley’s office has been part of a similar initiative in Louisiana to require the Ten Commandments to be displayed in all public classrooms—a federal judge ruled last week that the mandate was unconstitutional and ordered state education officials not to take steps to enforce the measure.
Other possible names for education secretary include Tiffany Justice, the founder of the conservative group Moms for Liberty who has led initiatives to ban certain books from classrooms and school libraries across the country. Experts who spoke to Insider Higher Ed also noted Christopher Rufo, a board member at New College of Florida and a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research.
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Trump’s first education secretary, Betsy DeVos, has also expressed interest in returning to her post. An advocate for school choice, DeVos has been determined to limit the DOE’s bureaucracy while in office. He resigned on January 7, 2021, but after the attack on the US Capitol.
“I’ve been clear about what I think should be on the agenda, which is to get the federal tax credit passed and reduce the power of the Department of Education,” DeVos told EducationWeek in a report published last week. “If President-elect Trump wants to talk to me, I’ll be very open to talking.”
What does Project 2025 say about the Ministry of Education?
Killing the DOE is one of the key components of the controversial Project 2025, a 900-page policy proposal created by The Heritage Foundation. Trump has claimed on multiple occasions that he had “nothing to do” with the document.
Project 2025 hopes to reduce the federal government’s role in education and instead allow officials at the state level to set their own curriculum. The document also states that it wants to increase “various school options” for parents to choose from for students.
The 2025 Project also recommends that the DOE’s responsibilities should be transferred to other federal agencies. For example, the Department of Justice will handle civil rights violations in schools, the Treasury will handle student loan issues and the Department of Health and Human Services will take on the rest.
Trump will shut down Dhave the US Department of Education?
It is unlikely that Trump can shut down the DOE. Doing so requires a Senate majority of 60 votes. Republicans take control of the upper chamber of Congress but only hold 53 seats, while Democrats and independents make up the other 47. Senate Republicans are also highly trusted to eliminate the filibuster.
Eliminating the DOE could also send shock waves to millions of Americans by affecting student loan plans and funding for school districts that rely heavily on federal funding. It can also harm students in low-income schools and in special education programs.
